Self cleaning steam iron

ABSTRACT

A self-cleaning steam iron with means to purge the iron of water and steam by providing a substantially large opening in the iron&#39;&#39;s water tank separate and distinct from the metering orifice through which water is normally dripped to make steam in a flash boiler type iron. The large opening is controlled so that, upon dumping, the water is conducted directly to the boiler in the hot soleplate so that the additional steam suddenly generated substantially cleans the entire tank, steam distribution system, boiler, and steam ports which are forcefully purged of water, steam, loose residues, and entrapped lint.

United States Patent [191 Davidson et al.

[111 3,823,498 [451 July 16,1974

[ SELF CLEANING STEAM IRON [75] Inventors: William E. Davidson, Ontario,

Ca .7 ,J.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Bridgeport, Conn.

[22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1973 [211 Appl. No.: 354,641

[52] US. Cl. 38/77.83 [51] Int. Cl. D06f 75/06 [58] Field of Search 38/775, 77.7, 77.08, 77.83

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,135 4/1897 Knapp 38177.83 2,708,801 5/1955 Voskresenski 38/7783 2,880,530 4/1959 Schwaneke 38/777 3,130,507 4/1964 Hoecker 38/7783 3,238,649 3/1966 Demon 38/7783 3,728,805 4/1973 Gowdy 38/7783 3,747,24] 7/1973 Davidson 38/7783 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson [5 7 ABSTRACT A self-cleaning steam iron with means to purge the loose residues, and entrapped lint.

9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention herein pertains to a steam iron and, more particularly, to a self-cleaning steam iron which employs a substantially and separate large opening in the internal water tank whereby the tank may be suddenly emptied directly into the steam boiler with the resultant gush of water and steamsubstantially purging the iron.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

The present invention is an improved version of the basic self-cleaning iron structure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,241 of common assignment. That patent discloses the concept of suddenly dumping the water tank to create a large mass of steam to clean the passages of the iron. With the advent of irons using water for either steam or spray purposes or both, it is customary to provide a water tank above the soleplate and use the water valve to provide controlled and metered water drippage into a steam boiler where it flashes to steam and is directed out ports in the soleplate'to steam the article. This is the flash boiler steam iron and is typical of most U.S. steam irons today. Spray attachments,'either powered or manual, have been added to such irons to supply a fine spray of water onto the fabric being ironed. Generally, distilled water is used in such steam irons because of the fineness of the various water passages and orifices subject to clogging due to mineral deposits from the water which vary from one locality to another. In addition, the steam ports in the soleplate tend to collect lint from the ironing operation and some i of this lint may subsequently find its way into the internal passage structure when the iron is upended and not in use. With hard water, the tap water contains minerals which produce loose flakes of varying sizes and deposits that plate out on the iron components and clog the fine passages. These generally consist of lime or calcium carbonate as well as other chemicals that are in solution in the water or may be in relatively large flakeform in the water and the deposits may vary around the country..Screens have been used to keep the passageways clear and some constructions have provided means where brushes or other cleaning implements may be used at least partially and still others have dumped water into supplementary boiler systems to create extra steam and pump it through the iron. Until the 3,747,241 patent referred to above, prior art constructions have not provided a self-cleaning iron wherein the tank and passages may be substantially completely cleaned by dumping the water preferably onto the hot soleplate to blow out all the impurities in a simple operation in which the entire iron is substantially purged at the end of an ironing session. The present invention improves on that basic self-cleaning function by dumping the water directly into the boiler of the iron where a scrubbing action may be generated and additionally clean the boiler of the iron as well as other passages.

I SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention is directed to a steam iron that has a fill opening to an interior water tank and a steam generating soleplate with ports and a steam generating foiler. In such a steam iron, the invention provides an improvement and means to completely and forcefully purge the iron of water and steam and this is accomplished by means of a substantially large opening in the water tank, the large opening communicating directly with the soleplate boiler. Means are provided for controlling the opening so'that the water in the tank can he suddenly dumped directly into the boiler to empty the tank rapidly. Thus, the main object of the invention is to disclose the concept of suddenly dumping the water tank to generate a large quantity of steam and purge the iron by the improvement of dumping the water directly into the soleplate boiler for additional cleaning action.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section and broken away, showing general parts of a manual spray steam iron with the invention applied; and

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective to show the actual dumping valve structure of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention is described in connection with a spray-steam iron of the manual type although it should be understood that it is applicable: to steam irons alone of the flooded boiler type as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,156,054, non-flash boiler type shown in US. Pat. No. 2,810,218, both of common assignment or the more common flash boiler type described herein with or without a manual or power spray. The invention discloses a self-cleaning iron where, on pushing a button, the water tank is suddenly emptied directly into the steam boiler and then suddenly generated steam forces substantially all loose mineral deposits from the iron. These may be forced out the soleplate ports as described herein or other openings in the iron. This is the intent of purge or self-cleaning and the like as used herein.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a steam iron'that includes soleplate 10 having plural steam ports 12 and outer shell 14 connected in any suitable manner to handle 16 all in known fashion. The soleplate may be cast aluminum with electrical heating element 18 cast in position. The heating element is generally the sheathed heat distribution is provided to the soleplate.

The iron includes means for generating steam by providing interior water tank 20 which may have a vertical outer suitably shaped riser tube means 22 in the forward portion for housing various operating mechanisms. For steam, soleplate 10 has a steam generator cavity or boiler 24 to receive metered water. The water is started and stopped forcontrolling steam generation by water valve structure generally indicated at 26 and activated by steam control means such as button 28 and connected spring-biased vertical stem 30. Water is metered through an orifice 32 from tank 20 into boiler 24, the resulting steam being distributed and directed through distribution passages 34, under coverplate 36, and out the ports onto the fabric being ironed. If de sired, a spray attachment 38 may be operated by control button 40 and may be manual as shown or power, both well-known in the art. Temperature control 42 operates the thermostat to control the heat generated in the soleplate. In order to supply water to the tank 20 for steam and/or spray, fill opening 44 communicates directly with the water tank. When the iron is steaming with button 28 in the up for steam position as shown in FIG. 1, water is metered to boiler 24 and the system may be closed to ambient or atmosphere by means of 5 water will drip at a constant rate for steam generation. If a pressure system is used where a minimum operating level pressure may be desired before the iron steams, to control or maintain constant upstream pressure before steam enters distributing passages 34, suitable steam pressure control means, not shown, may be provided. Such means may include valve structure as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,756 or merely orificecontrolling structure shown in co-pending application Ser. No. 305,574 filed Nov. 10, 1972, both of common assignment. It should be noted that the invention to be described is applicable either to a pressurized iron version that uses valve 46 or an ambient pressure iron that omits valve 46. In either case, a lower domed portion 50, separate or formed in the bottom of tank 20, provides a steam dome over boiler 24. Thus, steam from boiler 24 will find its way directly to steam distribution passages 34 and out ports 12. As described herein, steam flows directly from the boiler 24 to passages 34 without a pressure build-up to a necessary operating level. Steam pressure is communicated to the upper part of the water tank by balance tube 48 all in known fashion. In the conventional irons, it is customary to drain the iron after operation by depressing button 28 to open valve 46 to ambient and turn the iron nose down to drain water out fill opening 44 and empty tank 20'.

In accordance with the invention disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,241 this draining operation is unnecessary and the iron is self-cleaning. This is achieved by providing the bottom of tank 20 with a substantially large opening 52 that is spaced and separate from the usual metering orifice 32. Many equivalent forms may be used to provide the large opening, such as a concentric annulus around the metering orifice 32 or any other'functional equivalent. This opening is thus defined as .substantially large that may be spaced and separate and is intended to include any additional unrestricted flow opening that rapidly empties the tank and functions other than as the small restricted flow metering orifice and which bypasses the metering orifice.

- Preferably, this is in the form of any large separate and distinctly spaced opening as shown in the drawings and is, in effect, a plugged hole in the bottom of water tank 20 to rapidly dump the tank. The opening 52 is controlled by valve 54, which may be spring-biased closed and guided by stem 55 reciprocating in the coverplate as shown, and which is actuated from a suitable button 56 on the side of the handle. As seen, depressing button 56 opens valve 54 to dump all the water directly from tank 20 and bypass the usual outlet through orifice 32. The sudden surge of water hitting the hot soleplate creates a'large quantity of steam which is directed and used to purge the iron and clean it as fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,241.

The present invention, which is an improvement on said 3,747,241 patent, is designed to conduct the suddenly-dumped water directly into the iron boiler to provide better cleaning to the boiler itself as well as a scrubbing action therein. For this purpose, the usual coverplate 36 is provided with an opening or aperture 58 most of which is directly over boiler 24 as seen in FIG. 1. This may conveniently also serve as a receptacle for the duct work below metering orifice 32 which metering structure may be typical of that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,661 with reference to FIG. 4 and of common assignment. As seen, the water may be dumped directly on the upper surface of coverplate 36 from which it flows through the aperture 58 directly into boiler 24 with the result that a large quantity of steam is suddenly generated. Thus, the tank water may be suddenly dumped directly into the boiler to empty the tank therein very rapidly. The water is conducted by the coverplate and the aperture directly into the boiler. In order'for the resulting steam to be distributed, there is provided a ramp means 60 extending from the bottom of the boiler to the distribution passages at the top of the inner surface of the soleplate under the coverplate, and this may, if desired, be made narrower than the boiler so that the steam is funnelled out the ramp at a higher velocity to provide a scrubbing action. It will be apparent that the suddenly-dumped water may be introduced into boiler 24 partially on the ramp means as shown in FIG. 1 or in substantially any manner such as to one side to provide a swirling and scrubbing action to the boiler by use of guide means shown in phantom at 62 in FIG. 2 to direct the incoming fluid. The ramp may be at any suitable angle to facilitate the steam exit and this also creates a through passage from the soleplate directly to the bottom of opening 52 permitting the opening to be vented directly to atmosphere.

The sudden dumping of the water directly into the boiler provides a scrubbing action by the steam and the reduced exit provides higher velocity for further scrubbing and removal of loose residues in purging the iron.

It should be noted that, when the system is pressurized by the use of valve 46, the additional pressure in tank 20 assists in the purging by forcing the water out through the opening 52 when button 56 is actuated. If the system is not pressurized, the water merely flows by gravity and the dumping of all the water directly into the boiler for more efficient cleaning is applicable to either case. Thus, the cleaning feature may be used with either the balanced pressure system using valve 46 and balance tube 48 or with an ambient pressure system with the resultant efficient cleaning and scrubbing by directing the water directly into the boiler.

While there has been described a preferred form of the invention, obvious equivalent variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described, and the claims are intended t cover such equivalent variations.

We claim:

1. In a steam iron having steam control means, a fill opening to an interior water tank, a soleplate with ports and having a steam generating boiler with a coverplate thereover and steam distribution passages between the soleplate and coverplate, the improvement in means to purge the iron of water and loose residues comprising,

a substantially large opening in said tank,

means operable to control said opening to dump the water, and

means conducting the water directly into said boiler,

j means connects the boiler and steam distribution passages.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 1 having valve means to close said tank to atmosphere and means to pressurize said tank,

said opening communicating to atmosphere, and

said conducting means comprising an aperture directly over said boiler.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein ramp means connects the boiler and steam distribution passages.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein said ramp means extends from the bottom of said boiler to the top of the inner surface of said soleplate under the coverplate.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein said ramp means is narrower than said boiler to funnel the steam through the ramp.

8. Apparatus as described in claim 6 having guide means disposed to swirl the dumped water through the boiler to provide a scrubbing action therein.

9. Apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein said aperture is at least partly over said :ramp means. 

1. In a steam iron having steam control means, a fill opening to an interior water tank, a soleplate with ports and having a steam generating boiler with a coverplate thereover and steam distribution passages between the soleplate and coverplate, the improvement in means to purge the iron of water and loose residues comprising, a substantially large opening in said tank, means operable to control said opening to dump the water, and means conducting the water directly into said boiler, whereby the tank water may be suddenly dumped into the boiler to empty said tank rapidly.
 2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the conducting means comprises an aperture directly over said boiler.
 3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein ramp means connects the boiler and steam distribution passages.
 4. Apparatus as described in claim 1 having valve means to close said tank to atmosphere and means to pressurize said tank, said opening communicating to atmosphere, and said conducting means comprising an aperture directly over said boiler.
 5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein ramp means connects the boiler and steam distribution passages.
 6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein said ramp means extends from the bottom of said boiler to the top of the inner surface of said soleplate under the coverplate.
 7. Apparatus as Described in claim 6 wherein said ramp means is narrower than said boiler to funnel the steam through the ramp.
 8. Apparatus as described in claim 6 having guide means disposed to swirl the dumped water through the boiler to provide a scrubbing action therein.
 9. Apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein said aperture is at least partly over said ramp means. 